Mahala Sayles DeBow was born in Tioga County Pennsylvania, November
6, 1830 and died at Goshen, Indiana, August 24, 1904 aged 73 yr. 9 mo.
and 18 d.

When but a girl she came with her parents to Indiana in which state
she has lived nearly all her life, being one of the pioneers of LaGrange
County. In 1852, she was united in marriage to L. O. DeBow, then of Greenfield
Township. To this union were born seven children, four of whom survive
her. Her husband preceded her to the spirit world a year ago and since
this time she has lived with her son John H. DeBow of Goshen. Her death
was due to cancer of the stomach and came as a relief after many months
of intense suffering. She was for several years a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church and died trusting in that God who has been her stay through
many years of trial and care. She was a kind neighbor, a loving wife and
a servant of God. Let us join together in common belief that her sorrows
are over and that she has gone to her reward. To be with her children who
have gone before and again to see her husband. To spend eternity with Him
who said, "Come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will
give you rest."

- He came to LaGrange County in 1854, Fifty-nine
Years Ago - Funeral Held Yesterday - His Death Came In His Eighty-sixth
Year. Samuel McCALLY, who came to LaGrange county in 1854, died Monday
at the home of his daughter, Mrs. William W. Minich, East of town, in his
eighty-sixth year. Funeral services were held yesterday morning at
ten o'clock from the Methodist
Episcopal church at Plato, with Leroy W. Kemper, the pastor, in charge.
Burial was made at the Plato church yard.
Mr. McCally was born August 3, 1827, in Ohio, in
a house on the line dividing Clark and Madison counties. His parents were
Nicholas and Nancy Judy (Tschudy) McCally, the former a Virginian and the
latter a Kentuckian. Nicholas McCally served in the War of 1812,
first in the cavalry, in the Green Clay brigade under General Hull, and
was one of the army surrender to the British. He afterward re-enlisted
under General Harrison and was wounded in an engagement with the Indians.
His death occurred October 30, 1850 in Logan county, Ohio. Samuel
McCally attended the country schools and at eighteen years of age began
work on a farm in Clark county, Ohio. This employment he followed
for three years and for three more years he was engaged in driving cattle
to New York. He became the owner of the old homestead in Ohio the
year following the death of his father, but in 1854 came to the county
and invested in 180 acres of land. He was first married in
1849 to Mary A. Nicholson. She died in 1856, leaving him four
children, John McCally, now at Sturgis, Almond McCally, of Clay Twp.,
Andrew McCally of Kalamazoo and Elias G. McCally, who in 1865 was accidentally
killed. His second marriage was to Elizabeth J. Richards, who was
the mother of five children, former county treasurer Charles A. McCally,
Mrs. Sara Roger of Springfield Twp., Mrs. William W. Minich, Manley McCally
of Goshen and Mrs. Truman Fair of this township. Since the death
of his second wife Mr. McCally had made his home with his children.
Mr. McCally was both a man of character and capacity. He was successful
as a farmer and
active and prominent in political and other public affairs. He
belonged to that race of men to whom LaGrange county is indebted for its
transformation from a wilderness. Strong, rugged and resourceful,
he made his life count for things worth living. And at last he fell
asleep, in the fuliness of time, passing on to that country from, which
none returns.

(Sturgis Daily Journal, March 21, 1927) JOHN McCALLY ENDS LIFE
BY HANGING SELF.

John McCally, 77, a Sturgis resident for 25 years,
was found dead, his limp body lying behind an iron bedstead in his home,
403 Sturgis Ave., at ten Sunday morning. A rope doubled about his
neck told a mute story of the manner of his death. In a literal
sense McCally did not hang himself - he strangled himself to death.
This was the verdict of a coroner's jury at an inquest held at 1 o'clock
yesterday afternoon in the court of C.L. Haner, justice and acting coroner.
There was no sign of violence in the room nor
about the house. Two persons testified at the inquest.
They were A.M. Neufler and John Turnbul. Both declared that McCally
was in good spirits when they saw him last. "Mr. McCally appeared
to be all right when I visited him Saturday evening." Mr. Turnbul
testified, "although he had been worrying for some time over $800 which
he said he had lent."
John McCally was born in Auglarze county, Ohio,
July 14, 1850. He came to Sturgis 25 years ago. He was a former
employee of the Wilhelm Furniture Company here. During recent months, he
had been employed at intervals as an extra flagman
here for the New York Central Railroad. Funeral services will
be held Tuesday at 1 o'clock at the Moon Funeral Home in Sturgis and at
2 o'clock at the Methodist Church in Plato, Indiana. The body will
be intered in the Plato cemetery at the side of his wife who died 40 years
ago. Surviving are two sons Sam S., of Kendallville, Ind., and Charles
of Akron, O; one daughter Mrs. Jacob Bolley, of Kendallville; two brothers,
Albert of Shipshewana, Ind., and Richard, of Goshen; and two sisters,
Mrs. William
Minnick, of LaGrange and Mrs. Roxey Fair, of Howe.

(The LaGrange Standard, Thursday, March 16, 1939) ALMON McCALLY
OF CLAY DIED AT FARM HOME AT AGE 86.

Almond McCally, age 86 died at his farm home in Clay
township Monday evening. He had been bedfast for the last 11 weeks.
Mr. McCally was born in Logan county, Ohio, August 11, 1852.
All his life had been spent in farming. His son, Frank and family
have resided with the father on his farm in Clay township. He is
survived by the son, Frank; two grandchildren; one brother, Manley McCally
of Goshen; a sister, Mrs. Grace Minich of Plato. Funeral services
were held this morning at the McCally home, with Rev. C.L. Robinson officiating.
Burial was made in Greenwood cemetery.

(The LaGrange Standard, May 14, 1926) C.A. McCally Died Fighting
Brush Fire On Bloomfield Farm; Expired Soon After Being Found By Neighbor
On Old Session Place; Was County Treasurer; Scores Paid Tribute To Their
Friend At Funeral Tuesday.

Scores of friends gathered Tuesday afternoon in LaGrange
at the late house of Charles Albert McCally, former County Treasurer, Town
Clerk and member of the Town Council, as a last tribute to their friend
of years. Mr. McCally's death last Saturday afternoon came as the
result of a sudden apoplectic stoke suffered while he was fighting a small
grass fire on
his farm in Bloomfield township. No one knows just what happeded,
as he was alone at the time, but earlier in the afternoon a neighbor, passing,
saw him engaged in watching the burning of old grass in the fence rows.
About 4 o'clock his body, with the breath of life still fluttering, was
found by Charles Ely in a field on the old Ormand Session place, just north
of the McCally farm, and near the road bed of the old railroad. Shortly
before the discovery Mr. Ely and his brother William noticed smoke rising
from among the trees close to the old Session buildings. Fearful
that a grass fire had gotten too close, Charles Ely drove the 3/4 mile
distance and found his suspicions well grounded. Suddenly he came
upon Mr. McCally lying in the grass, seemingly yet alive. Making
him as comfortable as possible Mr. Ely raced back to his home to the west
for help. On returning in a few minutes
with his brother they found Mr. McCally had passed away. The
body was brought to Caton Brothers undertaking and then taken to the home
on East Michigan St. where the daughter, Edna, who has been teaching in
the Ft. Wayne schools, and the son, Ross I. McCally, a member of the staff
of Purdue University soon arrived in response to the sad news.
Charles Albert McCally was born in LaGrange county
on the farm in Bloomfield township, near where his last moment came 30
June 1858, the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Richard) McCally. His
father, who died in 1913, came to this country in 1854. In
1886 he was married to Emma LaRue, who died in November of 1920.
To them two children were born, Edna and Ross. He served as treasurer
of LaGrange county 2 terms, taking office first in 1894. He acted
as Clerk of the Town Land Board 4 years and for another term of 4 years
was a member of the Board. He and his family moved to LaGrange in
1909. Mr. McCally also held the office of Sec. of the Farmer's Rescue
for many years. Besides his son and daughter he is survived by 2
sisters, Mrs. William W. Minich, of south of Plato, and Mrs. Truman Fair,
living north of the old McCally farm, a brother John McCally of Sturgis
and Almond McCally of near Shipshewana, and many nephews, nieces and other
relatives, a sister, Mrs. Sarah Rogers, and 2 half brothers, Andrew McCally
and Elias G. McCally, preceded him in death.

MRS. CHARLES A. McCALLY:
Emma Olive LaRue, eldest daughter of John C. and
Elmire Estty LaRue, was born in Van Wert county, Ohio, July 26, 1861, coming
with her parents to LaGrange county, Indiana, thenceforth her home in 1876.
On March 21, 1886, she was married to Charles A. McCally. Two children
were born to this union, Edna and Ross L. For seven years they lived
on their farm in Bloomfield township, and after several years in LaGrange
again made their home there until 1909, when they returned to LaGrange,
where they have lived since resided. Her health gradually failed
until Friday evening, November 26, when she slept quietly away into the
peace for which she longed. Her religious feeling was deep and instinctive.
Besides her husband and children, she leaves to mourn her loss three brothers
and two sisters, J.L. LaRue and Mrs. C.M. Hissong, of LaGrange, A.A. LaRue
of Huntinton, Penn., and Minnie LaRue and D.D. LaRue of Fort Wayne, Indiana,
together with many other relatives and friends. Burial was made in
the family lot at Greenwood cemetery.

(The LaGrange Standard, February 26, 1914) MRS. ROGERS DIED FRIDAY
- She Was Unconscious for Seven Weeks Following a Stroke of Apoplexy -
WIDOW TWENTY-TWO YEARS - Mother of Three Daughters, All of Whom are Living.

After an illness of seven weeks and one day from
apoplexy, and without regaining consiousness, Mrs. Sarah Rogers died last
Saturday afternoon at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Swihart, on the Mrs.
Mattie Robinson farm, east of LaGrange about a half mile. Mr. Backus,
pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church, was in charge of the funeral
services, which were held Tuesday
morning at eleven o'clock, at the home of Mrs. Swihart, with burial
at the Brushy Prairie cemetery, on the old Rogers homestead, beside the
grave of Mr. Rogers, who died twenty-two years ago. Mrs. Rogers was born
in Bloomfield township fifty-four years ago, the daughter of Samuel and
Elizabeth McCally, pioneers in LaGrange county, both of whom are dead.
She was married in 1881 to Henry A. Rogers and to her were born three children.,
Mrs. Dewey D. Dillon, Mrs. Walter J. Masten and Mrs. Swihart, at whose
home she died. In addition to her three children Mrs. also
leaves two sisters, Mrs. William W. Minich and Mrs. Truman Fair, two brothers,
Charles A. and Manly McCally, and three half brothers, John Almond and
Andrew McCally. Mrs. Rogers was first stricken with apoplexy about
two years ago. From this stroke she seemed to recover. Her
second stroke came on the day following New Year's, at the home of Mrs.
Swihart, where she had been a guest only a few hours

(The LaGrange Standard, Thursday, January 14, 1943) LAST RITES
FOR MRS. Wm. MINICH ARE HELD SUNDAY AT PLATO HOME.

Funeral services for Mrs. Grace Minich, widow of
William Minich and highly respected resident of the Plato community during
her entire lifetime of 81 years, were held on Sunday afternoon at 2:00
o'clock at the Minich home just north of Plato. Rev.
Wayne Mitchell of the Valentine Methodist circuit officiated, and burial
was made in the Plato cemetery. Mrs. Minich's death occurred last
Friday at the home. She had been ill since Thanksgiving.
Grace Arabella Minich was born September 4, 1861,
the daughter of Samuel McCally and Elizabeth Richard McCally. Her
parents came to Bloomfield township from Clark county, Ohio, in the early
history of LaGrange county. Mrs. Minich was the eighth child of 10
children born to Samuel McCally. Mr. McCally having four sons by
his first marriage to Mary Nicholson. All these have preceded Mrs.
Minich in death except her youngest brother, M. R. McCally of Goshen.
Mrs. Minich spent her entire life in a radius of a mile and half in Bloomfield
township. She was born and grew to womanhood at the McCally
homestead, the present owners of which are the Ely brothers. On April
11, 1886, she was united in marriage to William W. Minich, who lived in
the same neighborhood. After their marriage, they settled on a farm
home near Plato where they lived for a few year, after which they purchased
the Minich farm home where she has lived until the time of her death.
He preceded her in death on April 5,
1933. To this union were born four children: Agnes E. Robinson
of LaGrange; Wilma W. Malone of Bloomfield township; Wilbur W. Minich of
Bloom township; and Walter Minich, who died at the age of three years.
(The obit continues to list a number of friends who attened the funeral)

Roxie McCally Fair, daughter of Samuel McCally and
Elizabeth Richards McCally, was born on the old McCally homestead north
and east of Plato, Bloomfield township on 29 May 1866 and departed this
life at her home 3 miles west of Mongo on 23 February 1938, aged 71 years,
8 months and 24 days. She was the youngest child of 10 children born
to her parents and 7 of her brothers and sisters have preceded her in death.
She was united in marriage to Truman Fair in 1889. To this union
were born 4 children, Mrs. Etta Schultz, Beecher, Edna and Jennie Elizabeth,
who preceded her mother in death. Together with her children she
leaves to mourn their loss 5 grandchildren, children of her daughter Etta
Schultz, 2 brothers, Almon McCally of Shipshewana, Indiana, Manley R. McCally
of Goshen, Indiana and 1 sister, Grace A. Minich of Bloomfield township,
and many nephews and nieces and a host of friends.

Former County Resident Dies in Daughter's Home.
Jacob F. Bolley, 83, resident of this county until about 10 years ago,
were conducted this afternoon at the Fogelsong Funeral Home in Sturgis.
Burial was made in Brighton cemetery.
Mr. Bolley was born in Ashland, Ohio 3 September
1867, the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Doerer) Bolley. He was united
in marriage with Stella McCally in Plato 8 June 1890. Surviving are
3 sons, Floyd of Elkhart, Harold of Lansing, and John Jacob of Marshall;
2 daughters, Mrs. Floyd Miller near Bronson where Mr. Bolley died, and
Mrs. Chester Simmons of Coldwater; 2 brothers, William Bolley of LaGrange
and Albert Bolley of Wolcottville; and 14 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.
Most of Mr. Bolley's life was spent in this county as a farmer. He
retired and moved to Sturgis with his wife, who died 19 January 1947.
Since then he has lived with his daughter.

Charles Wenzel Bolley was born March 30, 1893, in
Springfield Twp., LaGrange county. His early life was spent near
Plato and Brushy Prairie and he moved with his parents to Greenfield Twp.
a number of years ago. On September 2x, 1917, he was drafted into
service for his country and left for Camp Taylor with the first boys sent
from the county. But it was not his to remain long with them, for
his honest religious convictions placed him as a conscientious objector.
he was segregated and held at Camp Taylor until a short time ago, when
he was transferred to the disciplinary barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas,
where he contracted pneumonia and died, October 18, 1918, at the age of
twenty-five years, six months and nineteen days.
He is mourned by his father and mother and three
sisters and three brothers, on sister, Blanche, having gone into that great
beyond only a short time before him. Wenzel was a sincere member
of the Progressive Brethren church at Brighton and was true to his Master
until he called him home. He was a noble, loving, Christian young
man and took special interest in the home and
all it held dear. (remainder unreadable on my copy)

BLANCHE BOLEY PASSES AWAY / Died At The Home of Sabrosky Family / Every
Possible Effort Was Made To Save Life Of Young Lady Who Had Host Of Friends.

A particularly sad death occurred at 11:15
o'clock last night at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Sabrosky, S. Jefferson
St., where Miss Blanche Boley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Boley, of
Mongo, gave up the fight and surrendered to the call of her maker.
For some time in the past Miss Boley, who was twenty-three years of age,
had been suffering from an affliction
which threatened peritonitis. This developed Saturday and as
the condition of the patient demanded an operation, the attending physician
called two Mongo physicians into consultation, and it was determined to
resort to the knife in the endeavor to save Miss Boley's life. The
patient failed to rally, gradually lost vitality and the end came last
night just after the big storm had cleared away. Every possible effort
was made to spare the life of the young woman, but the best of medical
skill and nursing failed.
The parents of Miss Boley were in attendance at the bedside from the
time of the operation to the end.
Miss Boley was a splendid type of girl, just budding
into womanhood. She claimed a host of friends who will miss her
gentle way and winning smiles. Prior to her illness she was employed
as stenographer at the Miller & Long office and during her stay in
this city made her home with the Sabrosky family. Besides her parents
she is survived by two brothers, both of whom are in the army. Brief
services were held from the Sabrosky residence this afternoon and the body
was taken to the Boley home near Mongo, where the funeral and burial will
be held.

Frank G. McCally, 65, former county connissioner,
died at 5:30 o'clock Monday evening, December 25, at the LaGrange County
hospital following a prolonged illness. The funeral was held Thursday
afternoon at the Caton and Frurip Funeral Home with Rev. W.R. Kuhn, former
pastor of the Bethel Church, now of Argos, Indiana, in charge. Burial
took place at Greenwood Cemetery. Mr. McCally was in reasonable health
until 2 1/2 years ago when he was stricken with heart trouble and his
condition became gradually worse.
Frank McCally was born on the old McCally homestead
in Clay township November 5, 1885, the son of Almon and Ida May
Goodrich McCally, pioneers of that region. He graduated from
LaGrange High School in 1905 and taught school for 12 terms in Newbury
and Clay townships.
He was appointed county commissioner on the resignation
of Frank Bevington in the early thirties and served for one term.
He served for one term. He served several years as Clay township
director of the Farmers Rescue Insurance Company. He was a member
of the Knights of Pythias Lodge. On June 24, 1908, he married Hazel
Bowen and they made their home on the farm
where they lived throughout his life. He is survived by the widow:
one son, Clare McCally of Clay township; one daughter, Mrs. Elmer
(Ruth) Glick of Shipshewana and five grandchildren; and uncle, Richard
McCally of Goshen and a number of cousins.

Electia Emily "Peg" (Minch) Bolley was born in Howe,
IN., December 31, 1899 and died June 25, 2002 in Dimondale, MI. As
she chose to be cremated, all whose lives Electia touched are invited to
a memorial celebrated for her on Tuesday, July 2, at
7:00 p.m. at Lansing Central United Methodist Church.
After living a full life of 102 years, she watched
the ages pass from "horse-and-buggy-days" to wondrous probing of outer
space and greeted every change in awe of hope of even better things to
come. Good times and hard times were a part of her
life: a happy childhood, grieving, grieving when siblings and many
friends died during the flu epidemic of 1918, seeing her brothers go off
to WWI, burying her parents, all of her six siblings, her husband, and
four of her six children ... her husband, Harold Joseph Bolley (1964);
two sons: John Jacob (1989) and Donald Willard (1976); Donald's wife, Mary
Beth (Reid) 1978); a daughter, Janice Jane (1961); and a baby son, Winthrop
Lynn (1931). Two daughters and daughter-in-law survive her: Jeanne
Joy Snyder (Luvern), Joanne Joyce Gorsline, and John's wife Sonja.
Also 11 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren. "Peg" worked 28 years
at the J.W. Knapp store (downtown Lansing) in the yard goods department
retiring at age 72.

Harold J. Bolley, 66, of 2 s. Wadsworth, retired
dairy company employee, died Saturday at a local hospital.
Born in LaGrange, Ind., Mr. Bolley has been a resident
of Lansing for 38 years. He was formerly employed at Lansing Dairy
and McDonald's Dairy, retiring __ years ago. Surviving are his wife:
Electia E.; two daughters, Mrs. Jeanne Snyder of Lansing and Mrs. Joanne
Bergau of Mas...; two sons John and Donald Bolley both of Lansing; 11 grandchildren;
two sisters, Mrs. Frieda Miller and Mrs. Roa Simmons both of Coldwater;
two brothers, Floyd of Elkhart, John of Battle Creek.

In Ashland county, Ohio, on September 3, 1836, a
daughter, Elizabeth, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Dorerrer. In
1859 she was united in marriage to Jacob Bolley. To this union were
born eight children, three sons and five daughters. Mrs. Bolley
departed this life on September 24, 1922, at the home of her granddaughter,
Mrs. Henry Misner, near Olive Lake. Her husband and three daughters
preceeded her to the spririt world. Three sons are living, Jacob,
William and Albert, and two daughters, Mrs. Albert Case and Mrs. Daniel
Ackermire. Three brothers Emanuel of Helmer and Frank and Edwin of
Ashland, Ohio,
twenty-eight grandchildren, thirty-three great great grandchildren
and many friends and neighbors are leftg to mourn their loss.
In 1870 she came from Ohio with husband and
family and settled on a farm in Milford township, LaGrange county, where
they resided until the husband was disabled and compelled to retire from
active life. After this, the rearing of the family was left to her
and to her alone. No on knows what she suffered and endured through
those lonely years, for uncomplainingly and yet smiling, she suffered through.
She was unusually ambitious and active both in youth and in age and always
ready to help those in need. Being a member of the German Lutheran
church since early womanhood and a firm believer in her God, she left us
without fear.

Mrs. Caroline Heiss, 97, believed to the oldest resident
of St. Joseph County (Michigan), died yesterday afternoon at five o’clock
in the home of her daughter, Mrs. Carl Graves, at 131 South Nottawa Street,
where she lived, after an illness of ten weeks. Mrs. Heiss was born in
Erie County, Pa., on Jan. 26, 1838, the daughter of Andrew and Mary Frye
Sexauer. She lived in Erie County in her girlhood, and was married to John
Heiss at that place in 1862. Mrs. Heiss’ father supplied President
Millard Fillmore with potatoes for the White House and delivered them
in an ox-cart. The President got his tubers from Mr. Sexauer because they
were graded to an even size. In 1871 Mr. Heiss moved the family’s possessions
to Lima township, Ind., in a covered wagon. He drove his cattle ahead of
him. Mrs. Heiss and her son did not make the arduous trip, but went to
Toledo by train. In Toledo she boarded a Michigan Southern and Northern
Indiana Railroad train and came to Sturgis. The
line between Toledo and here had only been built a short time before.
Mrs. Graves still possesses the ticket that her mother purchased for the
trip, but which was not punched or collected by the conductor. Mr. Heiss
died in 1899, and his widow moved to Sturgis six years later.
Mrs. Heiss was a member of the Methodist Church
and the Ladies’ Aid.
Mrs. Heiss is survived by a son, Ellery, in Washington
D.C.; daughters, Mrs. Graves, Sturgis, and Mrs. Clem Willison, Buffalo,
Wyoming; granddaughter Maxine Heiss, a teacher in Cedar City, Utah; grandson,
John Heiss, a student at the University of Maryland at College Park, Mr.and
several nieces and nephews. The funeral arrangements will be
announced after he son arrives here.

Funeral Services for MRS. HEISS - Burial rites for Mrs. Caroline Heiss,
97, one of St. Joseph County’s oldest residents, were conducted yesterday
afternoon at 2:30 at the Foglesong Funeral Home with Rev. C. J. Kruse officiating.
Mrs. Heiss had made her home for the past five years with her daughter,
Mrs. Carl Graves, at 131 South Nottawa Street.
Vocal selections at the services were given by Mrs.
George French.
Acting as casket bearers were C. W. Seeb, W. P.
DeBolt., G. A. Rusterholtz, James Rusterholtz, Bert M. Jennings and Charles
Sprister.
Burial was made in Oaklawn Cemetery. Relatives from
White Pigeon, Howe and Burr Oak attended the services. A son Ellery Heiss,
from Washington D.C. who arrived here Tuesday evening to attend the funeral,
will remain a few days in this city.

These undated obituaries were found in my grandmother’s belonging. I
would assume they were clipped from the Sturgis Journal
Submitted by Cheryl Arver

MISS ERIE HEISS, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. John Heiss, who live about two
and a half miles north of Lima, died in Chicago, Nov. 28 ('95 was written
in pencil). The funeral took place at the family residence on Sunday morning,
at 10 o’clock. Rev. M. F. Stright officiated, assisted by Rev. Mr. Doll
and the German minister from Sturgis. Interment at Sturgis.

These undated obituaries were found in my grandmother’s belonging. I
would assume they were clipped from the Sturgis Journal
Submitted by Cheryl Arver